Thank you for your question about your protruding tooth. This is a common problem for many people. As we get older and if our tooth alignment is not quite right, our teeth tend to move producing this crossing over/protruding problem. Unfortunately this will only get worse in the coming years. The good news is that, with modern technology, there is something you can do about it.

There are 3 ways generally used to straighten teeth:

1. The first way is to have a brace. Please do not be immediately discount this option. Braces now can be made to be far more acceptable cosmetically than they used to be. In my practice I use virtually invisible “braces” called invisalign braces. These use a sequence of very thin see-through aligners ( they are like a second skin to your teeth) that gradually, over a period of 6 to 18 months, move your teeth into their ideal position. The treatment time depends on how severe your problem is. Please visit www.invisalgn.com for examples and more information. There are some problems that do need conventional brace treatment (train tracks) but your case does not seem that way from your Email.

Braces are a good option because there is minimal, if any, removal of your tooth substance. The down side is the treatment time and the possibility of the crossing over/protruding problem coming back.

2. The second way to straighten a relatively untreated mouth ( few fillings only ) is using veneers. These are thin pieces of porcelain used to cover over poorly positioned/ poorly shaped/discoloured teeth to give the beautiful smiles you see in the magazines. The treatment time for this is up to 4 weeks. In my practice I use Cad Cam technology to achieve this result in a day. Obviously this is a great plus , rather than waiting for a brace ( invisalign or conventional) to do its job. Also your smile can be whitened by the shade chosen for your veneers. The down side is the teeth need to be shaped to allow for the correct fit and positioning of the veneers. This means once you have started down this road you must realize that in the next 10 to 20 years you may need them replaced.

3. The final option would be crowns (caps). This requires a lot more tooth to be removed and should only be carried out if veneers are not possible.

In summary, if it was my mouth, I would have an invisalign brace if the teeth were a good shape or veneers if I could benefit from improving the shape of my teeth. Interestingly I do have veneers on my upper teeth. Please visit my web site below to view my before and after and you will hopefully see how I improved the shape, position and colour of my teeth. This will hopefully give you an idea of what can be achieved.

Hope this helps.

Regards,